Do You Know How Simple You Could be Traveling?

That moment before reaching a new destination can be a nerve-wracking experience despite how excited you are. If you are anything like me, you may even lose some sleep the night before the big day because of how excited you are! I tend to “wander lust” hard the night before a big trip. A few questions will probably be running through your mind: Do I have everything I need? Will the trip go well? Am I forgetting anything important? Fortunately, regardless of your destination, traveling can be simplified by following just a few rules.

Learn a Few Words

Nobody expects you to speak fluently in a new country. In truth, it’s usually easy enough to get by not knowing a single word of the local language thanks to the wide spread usage of English. However, getting by this way is far from ideal and comes off as having bad manners. The basics – please, thank you, hello – make each encounter more pleasant and will give you a bit more confidence in learning new words. Some other helpful phrases include “how much is it” and the corresponding numbers to ensure you’re getting a fair deal. You can probably learn all this on the flight or bus ride over to wherever you’re going. This is something quick and super easy to ensure that you will atleast be able to communicate the necessities. Can you imagine not being able to order that yummy sandwich or ask where the bathroom is when you really need it? Yikes. me either. Save yourself and do a little studying!

Write Off Your Losses

Odds are, something unexpected will happen on your journey and it won’t be a good thing, but that is life. It can be something small, like losing a pair of sunglasses (I went through 6 pairs in two months). Or worse, it could be something big like missing a flight or misplacing your belongings such as your wallet or purse.

The latter just happened to me. I was in a hurry and didn’t notice that I left my purse behind at the train station. Of course, it was long gone by the time I returned. The experience was stressful, not just because of the loss of money and other invaluable items, but also because it could have easily been prevented if I was more careful. It was an awful feeling. What helped is forgetting about it entirely. There was nothing I could do, so I turned my attention to my current travels and the places I was soon going to see. This was the only thing that made me feel better, and it certainly made my mishap not feel as tragic! When something bad happens, learn from the experience but write it off. If you dwell on the bad then your trip won’t be any fun. KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.

Everyone (usually) remembers to bring swimsuits, cameras and other essentials. What too many people seem to forget are towels, as many hotels and cheap guesthouses won’t provide one. Don’t bother with the big and bulky towels you have in your home bathroom. Instead, buy a travel towel for your trip. They pack to an incredibly small size and dry quickly, which are two features you’ll come to love. They’re also very light and easy to lug around with the rest of your luggage. It’s probably one of the best inexpensive (and sometimes ugly) travel purchases I’ve ever made. But it certainly works wonders and helps your bank account! Can you say “life saver?”

Under Pack Your Luggage

The temptation to bring everything you might possibly need is overwhelming. Do your best in resisting the urge. Clothes are easy to come by in your travels, as are other essentials. By packing light, you’ll have more room to buy things. You also won’t have to worry about your luggage being overweight if you’re flying. I know I personally used to always over pack, and then find out that I just come home with a sore back and a bunch of wrinkly clothes that I did not even wear! Save yourself and only pack what you are going to wear!

Cook When You Can

Unless you’re in an inexpensive foodie destination like Vietnam or Thailand, you’ll want to cook for yourself occasionally. Eating out regularly is expensive and not always healthy. By staying in a place with a kitchen, you can whip up something simple and even satiate your homesickness with a meal from back home. Even if you can’t cook, sandwiches and pasta are easy and cheap alternatives to going out. Also, stay even more prepared (and hydrated) by packing water bottles or eating foods that are highly concentrated with water, such as salads and fruit. You will be able to cure your hunger, thirst and save a few bucks by doing so!

Your travel time is precious, so make the most of it on your trip by doing exactly what you want. Even if you have a detailed itinerary, feel free to deviate from it completely if you want to stay longer in a city you feel in love with, or if you’re tired of seeing similar attractions. Too many travelers suffer from the urge of having to “see everything” and end up stressed out by all the travel. Forget that feeling and do the things that you want to do, even if it means covering less ground and seeing fewer places. So pack simply, stay calm, do a little research, be prepared and have the most beautiful, care free vacation yet!

Learning a few work is also fun =) it feels great to be able to understand and communicate with people. I didn’t know there was a specific towel for travel. I got a regular quick dry towel and cut it in half as my travel towel.

Kacey Bradley

Lifestyle - Wedding - Travel

Welcome to The Drifter Collective - a lifestyle blog sharing my love for travel, style, wedding inspiration, homemaking and so much more!
Some people call me a traveler, while others refer to me as 'the well cultured friend" who drifts into everything. Pun intended. :)